sol wrote:"The battle for keeping RM as a 100% public service is lost for the forseeable future"
That's probably right Big Daz. However, the CWU should learn something from the RMT. They were unable to stop rail privatization - the Tories had made political strikes illegal, of course. But unlike the unions in the public utilities they maintained their independence from the privatized companies, and set their sights on a long term campaign for re-nationalization.
In the public utilities the unions identified the interests of the members with the 'success' of the business. So they accepted the loss of tens of thousands of jobs.
In contrast the RMT maintained its independence and its organization.
If the CWU bases its policy on 'winning in the market' it won't resist job cuts not the worsening of the service.
The bit about the RMT is interesting , firstly BR was split into sectors , then on the very apt April Fools Day 94 BR went into shadow privatization. The RMT had been weakened by Fragmentation after the 1989 six week strike so it's difficult to organize , ballot etc .Postcon want Delivery/Processing etc sectorised -out sourced etc , Postcon are only doing Brown's dirty work , this is also what the DTI (The ultimate employer) wanted with Stephen Byers ; that's why he got Leighton in with his Walmart Experience in Union Bashing . 2. Once Fragmentized it's easier to sell up , hopefully with a weakened Union also DIVIDE AND CONQUER. That strike was not necessarily a left wing union versus management's right to manage , RMT lost on the Machinery of Negotiation . The structure was LDC Local Departmental Committee then Sectional Council then Area/Region then at the top of the chain was the RMT NEC . What RM want for you lot is similar to Amicus/CMA or Unites "simplified " structure . The problem with BR was you'd ended up with a Staff Rep then Profit Centre - quell surprise there was less reps , RMT used to have a paid Area Organizer but it meant that the Area Organizer had a big patch here it was all of North Wales , keep Manchester & Liverpool "happy" , sod the rest of 'em in the North West . In the so called "Steam Age " structure , the Area Organizer was only involved in a Emergency , i.e. a guard had been caught fiddling , Tribunals etc . RMG want the CMA structure for the CWU , if you were in trouble there was a gap between a idiot of a staff rep and the Area Organizer which is exactly what BR wanted and RMG certainly want this . For the Track lads the Tories wanted maintenance & renewal separated which are one and the same thing obviously , they'd a problem a organized RMT membership , all these building firms are True Blue Tories to the bone and don't do Unions . After the 94 Signalman's strike which went on for 13?? weeks BR stopped the Payroll deductions out of spite. Previously for anyone to leave the union they'd to put a request in writing and those people would be slagged to hell at Branch Meetings . Now Members had to pay cash subs or arrange Direct Debits so naturally the RMT lost members by stealth as they could quietly disappear The next phase to deal with the RMT was use Test Cases at Tribunals , the best case was the Manchester Piccadilly four which was badly handled by both Mgt & the RMT , there was a militant far left influence and Mgt usually conceded on allowances but this time dismissal notices were delivered in Taxis. RMT won the case but Rusty Railways North West appealed so there's trench warfare as the RMT could only afford so many IT cases . Then things were imposed , "If you want to make an issue of it , look what happened in Manchester!". The whole idea was to knock the stuffing out of people and soften them up for privatization . In 96 BR went completely private and there was untold trench warfare between the Train Operating Companies and the RMT.Remember the trade union lads had no protection as you do now in Employment Law & Tribunals under the EEC Social Chapter that Major rejected , A rep is a scalp and a half for management . The Train Companies hated ASLEF but they're terrified of them now . As for the TSSA well!. there is a parallel as a lot of the RMT lads felt let down /sold down the river by the "Corrupt RMT Right wing old guard"under the late Jimmy Knapp hence a more militant leadership with Bob Crowe . With BR there wasn't that many strikes despite the steam age structure but with these bus people Train operating companies there certainly is more. I get a sense of deja vue about Billy Hayes as GS and not many trust him at all.Billys not quite doing a Johnson but it's close to.The problem was when the likes of B-Liar & Prescot were in opposition they were threatening to renationalise the Railways so the Tories had a Nazi General / Scorched Earth Policy to sell off the Railways as cheaply and quickly as possible to thier mates that's why it was so botched . there's no votes in it bar London & the South East so New Lie-bour in Power left the Railways alone just the usual fudging, dabbling and interference in previous Tory policies like with the NHS .I respect the RMT for leaving New Lie-bour , why do fry-ups for the bailiffs like "Red Billy " is doing now??.The other parallel with the RMT is the CWU being overcentralized like with the RMT at Unity house , also being out of touch and some who hark back to a relatively beneign age . Like with RM's Senior/Area Mgt we'd openly vindictive and hostile management for a reason.
